2012 Moulin a Vent Couvent des Thorins

The 2012 Moulin-a-Vent Couvent des Thorins undergoes complete carbonic maceration and spends 11 months in tank. It has a light, slightly earthy, underbrush-tinged bouquet with dark fruit than the La Rochelle. The palate is medium-bodied with supple ripe tannins. There is good weight in the mouth, a fleshier Moulin-a-Vent compared to its peers with a pleasant saline finish. This is very fine. Drink now-2021. . The historic Chateau du Moulin-a-Vent traces its roots back to 1732, its name deriving from the windmill that crowns the hill of “Les Thorins.” Indeed, the estate was known as Chateau des Thorins until the introduction of the AOC in 1936. The celebrated French poet Alphonse de Lamartine is said to have fallen head over heels for the property and the daughter of its proprietor, Philiberte Pommier. In 2009, Jean-Jacques Parinet acquired the estate and he set about replanting 70,000 vines and overhauling the old wine cellar. There are now 37 hectares of vines that are treated lutte raisonee, with attention paid to specific terroirs within the vineyard, and that was borne out in a selection of very fine 2012s, which made the most of a very challenging vintage. Most of these wines are due for release in the United States in 2015 with the exception of the Couvent des Thorins. Importer: Wilson Daniels, St. Helena, CA. Also available through Flint Wines and Berry Brothers & Rudd in the UK.